Fossil Free WSU, a subcommittee of ASWSU Environmental Sustainability Alliance subcommittee, held a rally and march Wednesday afternoon to call for WSU to divest its consolidated endowment from the fossil fuel industry.
Following the rally on Terrell Mall, the participants marched to the offices of WSU President Kirk Schultz and the WSU Foundation in downtown Pullman.
Alyx Herring, chair of the ASWSU Environmental Sustainability Alliance, delivered letters addressed to President Schulz and John Mingé, chair of the WSU Foundation Board of Directors, announcing Fossil Free WSU would be filing a public complaint with the state Attorney General regarding the WSU Foundation’s investments in fossil fuels.
The letter stated that the WSU Foundation is out of compliance with provisions of the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act. Similar complaints have been filed at more than 20 other universities, including Columbia, Tulane and University of Virginia, within the past five years.
According to Phil Weiler, vice president of University Marketing and Communications, at the time the protesters delivered the letter, Schultz was at a town hall meeting.
Herring said she felt like the president was not being responsive, but she understands that he is busy.
“I am a bit disappointed, I understand he’s a busy man as well, but I also find, though, that it is a bit of a pressing matter, as far as a public comment being made so I feel like it’s kind of being blown off just a little bit,” she said. “But I am also understanding as to how busy he is.”
Formed in 2021, the group has been in active dialogue with the WSU leadership since then, said William Engels, a WSU faculty member at the Graduate Writing Center and part of Fossil Free WSU. They have consistently given public comments at the Board of Regents’ meetings and met periodically with President Schulz and members of the Board of Regents, he said.
The WSU Foundation leadership informed Engels the estimated percentage of the consolidated endowment in fossil fuels was at the lower end, or possibly below, the 6.5-8% range of October 2022. The endowment was approximately $723 million as of June 30, 2024.
Members of Fossil Free WSU are optimistic about their chances getting WSU to divest and encourage all students to join the movement to ensure that WSU does divest.
